briipearl's reviews
102 reviews

Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg

4.25

Didn't quite "feel" like the first two installments but I still enjoyed it <b>thoroughly</b>. (Can't wait for #4! in March '25) Being able to learn more about Owein's side of things, alongside a healthy dose of character growth, made it hard to not fall more in love with the sweet boy. There was that small dose of found-family that made my heart squeeze in the end. The addition of the

secret marriage and the druids

was a wonderful touch, too - secretly hoping they make a reappearance soon. The setting change, across the pond, was fun but I think I'm more partial to Whimbrel House and can't wait to see where the fourth installment leads!

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

3.0

3 🌟— Still not sure I get quite all the hype but I didn’t not enjoy this book. **Shrug.** It was, overall, two things that I couldn’t quite shake:
1- Predictable.
2- Wishy-Washy. 

At about 80% in, I felt myself lose a bit of interest because I knew, sadly, where it was all heading. Then the last few chapters managed to turn upside down all the character growth we’d seen throughout the book. 

Not to mention, I went into this expecting more…subterfuge and rescue missions and, aside from (1) time, that doesn’t really happen between these pages. (Maybe the next installment will be based more on action?) 

I think it’s more of a “this book didn’t fit me” situation, versus the book itself. I just didn’t click with it like I’d really hoped after seeing a billion rave reviews. 😞

Babylon: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History

informative fast-paced

4.0

Did what I needed it to do, as a 6th grade Ancient History educator on summer break: served as a refresh, was condensed, offered me a skeleton for note-taking outlines, and mentioned the most important/key figures and locations. It’s a small reference (and a quick read), definitely not comprehensive, but it was the perfect fit for my needs! Will be using other Hourly History editions for similar purposes.

Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction by Michelle Nijhuis

hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

4 1/2 ⭐️ Brilliantly addictive, wide scope, and a thoroughly enjoyable audiobook edition. I’d love to have a paper copy to annotate; there’s so much valuable information situated between these pages. Great read!

Selected Poems by Robert Frost

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Forged by Magic by Jenna Wolfhart

adventurous fast-paced

4.0

Perfect? No. Fun? Yes. (4) solid stars for getting me out of a reading slump and immersing me into a new world. There was plot movement and character development, maybe a tad rushed, but present nonetheless. And dragons. 🐉 Quick read, engaging and pretty lovable MCs all around!

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Oh for the love of all things good and holy - one of my FAVORITE books this year so far! (Already went ahead and ordered A Perilous Undertaking so I can continue to love these characters.) HOWEVER - why must Raybourn punish us so? **What a wonderful dose of sharp wit mixed with sarcastic humor and barely repressed sexual tension. Gimme more, dude.

Re-Read June 2024: Goodness, I'd forgotten how much I loved these two bantering and bickering in the beginning. I wanted to restart the series and get caught up before pursuing A Grave Robbery and I'm so glad I gave it a re-read!

Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits by Donalyn Miller

informative inspiring fast-paced

3.5

3.5 STARS --> Saved several ideas and refreshed my mindset for summertime + heading into a new school year. There were several sections of value, ones I'd like to apply to my own Social Studies classroom, specifically: read aloud selection and implementation, historical fiction and nonfiction selections for classroom library + building engagement in those more "boring" genres, etc. -- Leaving the Reading classroom after two years, I feel the pull to still include roughly 15/20 minutes a week for reading aloud to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade history students. 

*I was turned off a bit by the author at times, I won't lie. I did my best to just swallow it and move on, highlighting the morsels that I wanted to take away and apply to my own space. Reading this in 2024 did feel a bit dated, in some sections.

The Hobbit: or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.5

I danced back and forth between my own paperback copy and Andy Serkis' genius audiobook version in the car. What a great experience, as I never read The Hobbit as a child. Looking at it through adult eyes, it was easy to finally see the trail that Tolkien blazed, opening up the world to the beauty of fantasy. There's not much I can say that hasn't been said - just glad I finally made time for it.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

2.0

Sigh… Yet another hopeful, hyped-up read that I had a hard time swallowing. I could’ve let go of the cliches and the predictability, if the writing would’ve made up for it - but it fell flat. 

Even as someone who cusses like a sailor (sorry, Mom), every variation of “f#&$” made me roll my eyes. Too much telling, not enough showing = shallow characters that were just placeholders, not investments. I never once found myself cheering on the MCs. 

Sadly, neither the audiobook nor the physical copy inspired much emotion from me, as the reader. Annoyance, maybe…

Where was the depth that could’ve made this storyline absolutely kick-ass? Where was the slow burn that would’ve made these characters lovable? 

**Insert a curse here involving “tits”.**